1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to magazines for storing ammunition ready for chambering in a firearm and which may be detachable from the firearm, and more particularly to a release system therefor to prevent rapid interchange of magazines.
2. Description of Related Art
Repeating firearms are often fed successive rounds of ammunition from a magazine. Magazines may be integral to the firearm (fixed) or removable from the firearm (detachable). Removable magazines come in many shapes and sizes, with the most common type in modern firearms being the detachable box type. An example of a detachable box magazine may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,139,959, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. A representative box magazine is generally indicated at 30 throughout the Figures.
As an example, in the popular AR-style rifle (FIG. 1), the magazine 30 is inserted into the firearm by pushing the magazine into a magazine well in the lower receiver, generally indicated at 32, until a spring-loaded pawl or latch 34 engages a notch-like recess 36 in the magazine 30 to securely hold the magazine 30 in an operational position.
To remove a magazine 30 from an AR-style rifle (it being understood that the AR platform is mentioned here as an example only, and that the principles of magazine insertion and replacement are generally similar across most makes and models of repeating firearms), a user depresses a magazine catch button 38 and then manually withdraws the magazine 30 (or allows the magazine 30 to simply fall under gravity) so that it disconnects completely from the lower receiver 32.
As originally designed and practiced in most jurisdictions, the Original Equipment (OE) magazine catch button 38 is thumb-operated. The user pushes the button 38 with their thumb (or finger) against the bias of a spring 40, which in turn displaces the catch 34 out of engagement with the magazine recess 36. Once pressure is released from the button 38, the latch 34 automatically returns to its natural or home position under the influence of the spring 40, ready for a new magazine 30 to be inserted and held fast. The prior art latch 34 and button 38 assembly is carried in a formed pocket in the lower receiver 32 of an AR-style firearm. Those of skill in this field will appreciate the magazine catch features of other firearm types may be designed and operate differently but upon the same general premises of a manually displaced, spring-loaded catch.
Since the magazine is an essential part of most repeating firearms, they are sometimes subject to regulation by gun control laws seeking to limit or handicap their functionality. Some jurisdictions impose regulations that seek to limit or handicap the detachment functionality of a magazine 30 and/or to characterize certain classes of firearms by the “detachable” nature of the magazine 30. For example, California law regulates “detachable” magazines 30. A magazine 30 is considered not “detachable” if one must use an external tool in order to remove the magazine 30. This determination has led to the development of numerous design proposals which modify a rifle so that its magazine 30 is not removable without the use of a tool, i.e., for which a human finger alone is not sufficient to depress the button 38. Despite the need for a special tool to release the magazine 30, practiced users may achieve relatively fast magazine 30 interchanges.
In addition to pressures imposed by laws and official ordinances, private gun ranges and/or instructional facilities may wish to impose restrictions on the speed at which a user can remove an empty magazine 30 and insert a fresh one into the firearm. Current techniques aimed at addressing the “detachable” nature of a magazine 30 may not reliably impede a user's ability to rapidly remove an empty magazine 30 and insert a fresh one into the firearm. There is therefore a need for new and improved options to control the speed at which a user can remove an empty magazine 30 and insert a fresh one into the firearm for those jurisdictions and settings where needed.